The Osceola times., 1887-07-02

As the season is near at hand when
The small boy will be dofiing his clothes
and making break for the nearest
part of the lake where he may bathe
undisturbed. and his elders and betters
will be hieing themselves to water,
either fresh or salt, there to lave their
limbs, perhaps n few words on one of
the most useful Of all arts, viz, SWIM
ming. by one who used to be 'prac-
teal amateur, may not prove uninter-
esting To the readers of the Sunday
Herald. In the cultivation Of SWIM
ming as an art society has hitherto
taken but very little interest, indeed. as
compared with the attention bestowed
on other athletic pursuits.
There are many reasons to account
for this want of sympathy and interest,
the most prominent of which, most un-
questionably, is the insuiliciency of
bathing accommodations.
The remark we are now going to
make to physical obstacle to learning
swimming may appear puerile. but
numbers will testify to its truth. Five
men out of ten who have really made
up their minds to learn the art-who
have wound themselves up to the
proper pitch Of courage TO plunge into
the water and take n few strokes are
effectually checked in their further pro-
gress by the violent cold which sezes
on beginner. For those who have
not been taught swimming in their
youth there is no resource but few
weeks hard practice, day by day, to
enable them to acquire the rudiments
of the art Boys have an immunity
from this, apparently. One may see
them lingcr in and out of the water
three or four hours, until their skin as
sumes curious notified appearance.
The greater the skill in the manage
ment of the limbs, whether in rowing.
baseball, cricket or swimming the
keener the enjoyment is. A man who
can only swim fifty yards "at pinch
has very little idea of the keen enjoy
ment the practical swimmer has when
he has clear water before him.
Now with regard to the different
styles Of swimming. The chest stroke,
the ordinary and most straightforward
style of swimming. is. and always will
be, the most popular. Although, as a
rule, rapid progress with it can not
easily be made. much greater distance
can be traversed with it than with any
other, as it leaves the head entirely
obtainable. A good swimmer never
tires at this, and, while it is a most
graceful stroke, it is better performed,
as rule. than all the other strokes put
together, as il is the first acquired by
the beginner. Side swimming, as its
name indicates, is a style of swimming
on the side, keeping aportion of the
head immersed and striking out one arm
while the other is describing half cir
Gle. 1t is capital for work against the
tide, but is principally used 10 gain
speed. 1t is employed, almost without
exception, by competitors in swimming
gala. The overland stroke consists oi
the ordinary side stroke, but with one
arm performing a circle, one-half in
the water and one in the air, the hand
being kept in cup-like form, or II
may be the ordinary breast stroke, but
with the arms put forward alternately
and brought rapidly back through the
water. The last method insures the
most speed, as there is much quicker
movement of the arms, but the first Is
the most popular and most practiced,
as it is by far the easiest to acquire.
The overland stroke is most exhaust
ing, and always involves a great ex.
pendture of strength; it is only used
when rapidity is needed for short
distance, as. for instance, at the end OF
swimming race, or, it may be, tc
reach sinking person.
There are a good many hybrid styles
but the above three are the root ol
them all. There is only one other thai
may be mentioned, and that is swim
ming on the back. Man, whether in
the water or out, is at disadvantage
when on his back, and he will not re-
sort to locomotion in that position, un
less it be to go quite gently, as rest
In the sea this style of swimming Is
very pleasant Indeed. the writer has
experienced few things pleasantcr thar
70 lie almost motionless, floating on ths
hlus watsrs q The Mediterranean. and
= ~ lifted Geatly up sad down bS ~
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